Shropshire employers must tackle staff who are under-performing
- even if the culprit is a senior team member.
John Mehtam, employment law specialist at Martin-Kaye LLP
Solicitors, in Telford, said it was not just junior employees who
could be guilty of failing to make the grade.
"Senior staff can perform poorly, and their actions can cost
your company even more dearly than a junior member of the team who
may not be working as hard as they should be.
"Your company cannot afford to employ anyone who is not pulling
their weight, but most employers tend to focus on the poor
performance of junior staff, when in fact it can also be a problem
with managers and even fellow directors."
John said employers who suspected someone was performing below
par should try to identify the root cause of the problem before
taking any action.
"Don't rush into anything, because although the person's
underperformance could be down to a lack of experience or the
failure to delegate tasks effectively, it could also be due to
other factors in the workplace.
"It could even be down to something they (and you) are unaware
of altogether, such as a clash of personalities in their team."
John suggests employers should initially meet with the team
member and informally raise their concerns.
"They may be able to tell you immediately what's wrong, or they
may not, but at least the problem is out in the open. And if it's
just a case of someone who has let their commitment to your firm
slip lately, they will know you're monitoring the situation.
"If you can identify issues, put in writing what improvements
you want to see going forward and when you expect them to be made,
and set a review date for a few weeks' time.
"But if things don't improve, you should consider disciplinary
action if appropriate because managers are supposed to 'manage',
and if they don't, you will be justified in taking the next
step.
"You must make sure though that you've provided all the
necessary support, including extra training, before you follow a
disciplinary route, as otherwise your decision could be
undermined."
For more information on Martin-Kaye Solicitors visit their
website here: www.martinkaye.co.uk